International Day to Protect Education from Attack

"Whatever differences countries have, we can all agree they will not be solved by killing schoolchildren. That is why we have the laws of war: to protect children and other civilians caught up in conflict, as well as schools and all civilian infrastructure." -  Mr.  Volker_turk

On February 28, 2026, a devastating missile strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, southern Iran, killing over 150 people, including more than 100 schoolchildren . The UN, UNESCO, and human rights groups strongly condemned the tragedy and are pressing for full investigations UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani also recalled the horror of a strike on Saturday which reportedly killed and injured dozens of girls in a primary school in Minab in the south of Iran. “Children, little girls…at the beginning of the school day being killed in this manner, backpacks with bloodstains on them - this is absolutely horrific,” she said. “If there is any image that captures the essence of the destruction, despair and senselessness and cruelty of this conflict, those are the images.” Ms. Shamdasani said that UN rights chief Volker Türk had been “deeply shocked” by the impacts of the hostilities on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and called for a “prompt, impartial a...

No child should risk death to learn. Yet this year, as violence against children in armed conflict continues to climb to unprecedented levels, education is once again caught in the crossfire. The past 12 months saw a staggering 44 percent surge in attacks on schools, resulting in the death, abduction and trauma of thousands of teachers and students. Each violation carries profound consequences — not only for teachers and young learners, but for the future of entire communities and countries. The United Nations is working tirelessly to stop this scourge and ensure every child can access their basic right to education, even in the most dangerous contexts. But we cannot do it alone. Countries must invest in education systems that can reach every child and fully endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration. I also call on all parties to conflict to meet their obligations under international law, respect schools as places of safety and hold accountable those responsible for attacks. T...

This dataset presents verified incidents of violence, threats, and disruptions affecting education systems globally from January 2020 to May 2025.It includes structured, incident-level records of attacks against students, teachers, schools, and educational infrastructure. The data enables global awareness, humanitarian response, and academic analysis of how education is endangered during conflict and crisis.

This year, 9 September marks the sixth United Nations International Day to Protect Education from Attack , with commemorative events being held in the days before and after, in Geneva and elsewhere. These include a dedicated exhibition by Education Above All, entitled “ Reshaping Action ”, and a Youth Hub Debate, hosted by Qatar Debates, which will both take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 9 September, from 11 am onwards. Explore the full programme!

The United Nations Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict for the year 2024 presents a harrowing account of the violence endured by children in conflict zones . The report verifies a staggering 41,370 incidents , the highest number of grave violations against children in armed conflict since the inception of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate almost 30 years ago. Countries with the highest levels of violations in 2024 were Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, notably the Gaza Strip, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. Most grave violations showed an increase in 2024, including attacks on schools (44%), and rape and other forms of sexual violence (34 %). In addition, the number of children victims of multiple grave violations increased by 17% through the convergence of abduction, recruitment, and use, and sexual violence, representing an alarming escalation in brutality.